Soul singer Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” is also a grand diva of pop music. Her unmistakable style fuses gospel, jazz, rock, and rhythm and blues, especially in such late 1960s hits as “Respect” (1967),“Chain of Fools” (1968), and “I Say A Little Prayer” (1969). Franklin has sold millions of albums and won 15 Grammy Awards. She became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, she received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1990, and was a Kennedy Center honoree in 1994.

More on Aretha Franklin from Fact Monster:

Black Musicians - The following list includes African-American singers, composers, rappers, pianists, and other musicians who have contributed to the world of music, including Count Basie, Akon, Natalie Cole, Missy Elliot, Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and more.